Amazon US Patent 9,554,096 Automated garment photography with fit adjustment

BACKGROUND 

Online shopping has transformed retail in many areas. But apparel is one area where consumers have not fully adopted the online shopping model. Clothing returns are high, and it is believed that many customers abandon online clothing purchases prior to completing them. As a result, some online retailers have generous return policies for clothing that does not fit in order to make the customer more comfortable with purchasing clothing online. 

Compounding this problem is the fact that there is no size standardization in the apparel industry. For example, a size "8" from one clothing manufacturer is not necessarily the same as a size "8" from another manufacturer, making it difficult for a consumer to know whether a garment purchased online will fit. Also, a pant size reported by the manufacturer to be 32 inches in the waist and 34 inches in the inseam does not provide information about how much room the pants have in the thigh, for example. 

Book: Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy by Tim Harford

by Tim Harford (Author)

A lively history seen through the fifty inventions that shaped it most profoundly, by the bestselling author of The Undercover Economist and Messy.

Who thought up paper money? What was the secret element that made the Gutenberg printing press possible? And what is the connection betweenThe Da Vinci Code and the collapse of Lehman Brothers? 

Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy paints an epic picture of change in an intimate way by telling the stories of the tools, people, and ideas that had far-reaching consequences for all of us. From the plough to artificial intelligence, from Gillette’s disposable razor to IKEA’s Billy bookcase, bestselling author and Financial Times columnist Tim Harford recounts each invention’s own curious, surprising, and memorable story. 

Invention by invention, Harford reflects on how we got here and where we might go next. He lays bare often unexpected connections: how the bar code undermined family corner stores, and why the gramophone widened inequality. In the process, he introduces characters who developed some of these inventions, profited from them, and were ruined by them, as he traces the principles that helped explain their transformative effects. The result is a wise and witty book of history, economics, and biography.

Book: The Secret Life: Three True Stories of the Digital Age by Andrew O'Hagan

A trio of reported essays exploring identity and the Internet

The slippery online ecosystem is the perfect breeding ground for identities: true, false, and in between. The Internet shorthand IRL―“in real life”―now seems naïve. We no longer question the reality of online experiences but the reality of selfhood in the digital age.

In The Secret Life: Three True Stories, the essayist and novelist Andrew O’Hagan issues three bulletins from the porous border between cyberspace and IRL. “Ghosting” introduces us to the beguiling and divisive Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, whose autobiography the author agrees to ghostwrite with unforeseen―and unforgettable―consequences. “The Invention of Ronnie Pinn” finds the author using the actual identity of a deceased young man to construct an entirely new one in cyberspace, leading him on a journey deep into the Web’s darkest realms. And “The Satoshi Affair” chronicles the strange case of Craig Wright, the Australian Web developer who may or may not be the mysterious inventor of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto―and who may or may not be willing, or even able, to reveal the truth.

O’Hagan’s searching pieces take us to the weirder fringes of life in a digital world while also casting light on our shared predicaments. What does it mean when your very sense of self becomes, to borrow a term from the tech world, “disrupted”? Perhaps it takes a novelist, an inventor of selves, armed with the tools of a trenchant reporter, to find an answer.

Book: Edison vs. Tesla: The Battle over Their Last Invention

by Joel Martin (Author), William J. Birnes (Author)

Thomas Edison closely following the alternative physics work of Albert Einstein and Max Planck, convincing him that there was an entire reality unseen by the human eye. This led to the last and least-known of all Edison’s inventions, the spirit phone. His former associate, now bitter rival, Nikola Tesla, was also developing at the same time a similar mysterious device. Edison vs. Tesla examines their quest to talk to the dead. It reveals:

Edison’s little-known near-death experience formed his theory that animate life forms don’t die, but rather change the nature of their composition. It is this foundational belief that drove him to proceed with the spirit phone.
Tesla monitored Edison’s paranormal work, with both men racing to create a device that picked up the frequencies of discarnate spirits, what today is called EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon).
Both men were way ahead of their time, delving into artificial intelligence and robotics.
Although mystery and lore surround the details of the last decade of Edison’s life, many skeptics have denied the existence of the mysterious spirit phone. The authors have researched both Edison’s and Tesla’s journals, as well as contemporary articles and interviews with the inventors to confirm that tests were actually done with this device. They also have the full cooperation of the Charles Edison fund, affording them access to rare photos and graphics to support their text. Edison vs. Tesla sheds light on this weird invention and demonstrates the rivalry that drove both men to new discoveries.

Book: Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor's Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond by Chris Burniske, Jack Tatar

The innovative investor’s guide to an entirely new asset class―from two experts on the cutting edge

Cryptoassets potentially offer the greatest investment opportunity since the internet. Bitcoin was the first cryptoasset, but today there are over 500 and counting, including ether, ripple, litecoin, monero, and more. Cryptoassets and their associated blockchains are changing the way investors use and grow their money. This clear, concise, and accessible guide from two industry experts is the first book of its kind to explain this brave new blockchain world to innovative investors looking to explore the potential of this emerging asset class in their portfolios.

It gives readers an understanding of how these assets were created, how they work, and how they are evolving amid the blockchain revolution. It also provides an actionable framework within which to evaluate new cryptoassets and position investment portfolios in the coming wave of financial innovation. Investors will learn how to gain access to these assets, whether through familiar investment vehicles or bleeding edge techniques such as crowdsales, hardware wallets, and cryptoasset exchanges. This is the future of money.

Book: The Patent Guide: How You Can Protect and Profit from Patents 2nd Edition

The Patent Guide: How You Can Protect and Profit from Patents 2nd Edition 

by Carl W. Battle (Author), Andrea D. Small (Author) 

Coming up with a million-dollar idea is only the first step in what might seem like a long and difficult process. In The Patent Guide, Second Edition, experienced patent attorneys Carl W. Battle and Andrea D. Small deliver basic and comprehensive advice that is easy to understand and will allow you to protect, promote, and profit from your ideas. Chapters discuss such topics as:

How to commercialize your invention

Where to find sources of information and assistance

What guidelines you should follow when obtaining a patent

How to obtain foreign patent rights

How to maintain confidentiality of your ideas

When to use patent attorneys and agents

How to deal with invention brokers and promotion firms

How to enforce your patent against infringement

Fully updated and revised, this new edition includes information on inventor notebooks and records, updates to the patent filing process in the United States and abroad, the latest USPTO forms and templates, and changes to electronic filing and submission procedures.

With easy-to-use forms and step-by-step instructions, The Patent Guide is an indispensable tool to help minimize costs and maximize profits of your ideas and inventions.

Book: National Geographic 101 Inventions that Shaped the World by The Editors Of National Geographic

by The Editors Of National Geographic


Product details

Title: National Geographic 101 Inventions that Shaped the World

Paperback: 116 pages

Publisher: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (July 7, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1683301706
ISBN-13: 978-1683301707